The main Facebook app is getting updated with a new camera and two additional methods for sharing multimedia files with your friends, the Menlo Park-based company announced on Tuesday. The latest Facebook update will be rolling out on the Google Play Store over the course of this week and should be available for download to all users in several days. The new and improved in-app camera and its related effects and filter platform have been in testing for over half a year now and it seems that Facebook is finally happy with their performance as the company is getting ready to release them on a global level.
Once your Facebook app is updated, you’ll be able to access the new camera by either swiping right on your Facebook News Feed or simply tapping the camera icon located in the top left corner of the main user interface. Apart from filters and live masks, the camera also offers custom frames that you can apply to anything your record. Some of the effects offered by the camera are reactive and will be displayed differently depending on the image or video you enhance with them. Furthermore, numerous live masks and effects have been inspired by a number of highly anticipated Hollywood blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Alien: Covenant, and Despicable Me 3, while several renowned visual artists including Hattie Stewart also contributed to some effects you can use within Facebook’s new in-app camera.
The latest update will also ennoble the app with Facebook Stories, a new feature allowing users to share ephemeral multimedia collections that disappear after 24 hours. The functionality was directly inspired by Instagram Stories which was in turn likely modeled after Snapchat Stories. Finally, Facebook is also improving its mobile app with Direct, a feature that provides users with the option of sharing multimedia content with individual friends. Just like Facebook Stories, content sent using Direct also disappears after a short period as your recipients will only be able to view it and react to it once. Facebook promised all of the new features will be improved in the coming months based on user feedback and other relevant factors. Refer to the gallery below to see some screenshots of the latest Facebook update in action.
